French designer Phillippe Starck will build a big hi-rise condo in Uptown’s Victory project. The building, dubbed “The House”, will be a 26-story, 150-unit luxury place. While there’s no word yet on actual pricing, you can reserve your unit now for $5,000. Construction will start in the first quarter of ’06.

Why Dallas? He’s had success here before with his West End nightclub (remember the Starck Club?) which opened in 1984. And, of course, hi-rise condos seem to be all the rage now. So, we can’t fault the guy for contributing to the over-building of that sector, can we?

I was at the new Galaxy Club last night to see MeWithoutYou. While I’d never spent a tremendous amount of time in the old Galaxy Club, I must say that the new location is really great. The club is bigger and less…er…shady?

The show was also amazing…though I think the scene girls behind me were a little irked at the fact that I was dancing. Psh…how uncool of me…

Post-show Starbucks and intellectual conversation. I felt like a grown-up.

Posted in DFW Living | Comments Off on there isn’t going to be a subject here

Only Los Angeles can rival Dallas for its love of flashy cars. Maybe it’s all the driving we do in the metroplex, but we love our cars.

Even if your car is a beater, who doesn’t hate getting flyers on their windshield? It’s basically someone sticking trash on your car. It’s not something you want, and now you’re responsible for disposing of it properly. You always see tons of flyers littering the ground. People who dump flyers on your car are basically the spammers with paper. Worse than spammers – they leave actual trash behind.

Today when I left work I found a very pricey piece of marketing material on my car. It’s a 8 inch x 8 inch multipage brochure for printed on card stock for this joint. That’s not a cheap piece of spam – I was shocked that they’d waste it on 500 random cars in the lot.

Then I noticed that they had only put flyers on brand new cars or luxury cars. That’s when I laughed myself silly – Might I suggest that if you’re in the market for a new crib, you pass on the places that litter all over the city.

Interesting…every Wednesday afternoon there is a war protest outside the offices of Halliburton in Fort Worth. The protesters gather on the corner of 7th and Main Streets. According to one of the protestors they don’t need a permit to protest as long as they stay on the sidewalk and off private property.

Some weeks it’s only a few people, but this week they had enough folks to call it a crowd. It all seemed pretty polite when I passed by today.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State

Having worked in both downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth, I’ve noticed there are far more homeless people panhandling in Fort Worth. It’s not a small difference – it large enough that is definitely noticeable.

Does anyone know why? More aggressive police in Dallas? Less services in Fort Worth? Are the homeless people at another location in Dallas where people are more likely to be walking around and generous?

Dallas is a weird place. I don’t think I’ve ever been to any other place that puts so much importance and status on what part of town you live in. I know people who are fiercely proud of the fact that they live in the Lower-Greenville area. When I think “new money”, I think Park Cities. When I think “old money”, I think “North Dallas”. I live in Northeast Dallas, and I’ve seriously been asked “Why do you live over there?” like I’m too young and hip and trendy and therefore belong somewhere closer to downtown.

I just watched some show on A&E about a murder-by-poison that took place in Highland Park in 1991 and how, when all was said and done, the Park Cities just shut everyone out again and ignored that something bad had ever happened. The narrator rambled on for about 10 minutes about what an effed-up place Park Cities is. There was something strangely satisfying about it. I don’t know why.

Seriously…when I started this post, I was going somewhere with it. I went to the kitchen and came back with a snack and forgot what I was doing.

Aaah…Taco Cabana. One of the many little pleasures that my life has gained since moving to Dallas. Those tasty tortillas and queso have held me over for many a near-penniless evening.

Marcie and I hopped into the Taco Cabana north of Greenville and Southwestern last night for some good eats and a beer. One friggin’ beer. LUPITA: GENERAL MANAGER was there to greet us and take our orders. My order included a bottle of Tecate. I handed Lupita my Florida Drivers License (I’m originally from Florida) and she inform me that she needed a valid Texas ID from me. OMGWTFBBQ?! I don’t have a Texas ID…I’m from Florida. I haven’t lived in Dallas a very long time. I still have my Florida ID. Lupita informed me that “It’s State Law.”

“What? Why? This is the only time I’ve ever had this problem. It’s Texas State law that alcohol can only be served to legal Texans?”
“Yes…”
“What about tourists? They don’t get any alcohol? You can still run it. It’s a valid ID. It works everywhere else that runs it.”
“We can’t run an out of state ID.”
“It’s the same machine. Just try it.”
“No. We can’t.”
“OMYGOSH. It’s the SAME machine. Are your machines only for Texas?”
“Yes.”
“You’re the only one that has them! Did the State of Texas make special ID things especially and only for Taco Cabana so they cannot check out-of-state IDs?”
“….Yes.”
“Seriously? Texas made them JUST FOR Taco Cabana?”
“Yes.”

I never got my beer. I was so irked. I’d really been looking forward to it. I hate you, Lupita.

So riddle me this: What is the Texas State law as far as drinking goes? It doesn’t make any sense to not allow out-of-state IDs because that would be really awful for the tourism industry here. Is there a factory where the state makes special Taco Cabana ID Nazi machines? I’m really unfamiliar as to how the laws here work ’cause they don’t make any sense. Help me out.